Offensive Tackle ~ Rick Leonard ~ Florida State Seminoles ~ 6070/312

Regarding Offensive Tackles

I consider Offensive Tackles no more crucial to a Team's Championship Chances than Offensive Guards, a notion that of course flies in the face of conventional "Wisdom", however, I'd hardly consider the position of Offensive Tackle to be overrated: Far more Championships are won and lost in The Trenches than most would believe.

The Gutters are riddled with the Corpses of Teams that were built around so-called "skill" Players ~ teams that delighted their Fantasy FootBall Fans every Year, all the way until January...until The Only Games That Really Matter.

It is then, of course, that the Capacity ~ or lack thereof ~ to Move The Chains and protect the QuarterBack against PlayOff Caliber Defenses rears its ugly head. And another Team built for Fantasy FootBall bites the dust.

This is how I break things down, when I'm evaluating Offensive Tackles:

Power: Above all: Core Power. Torso Power is important, but Core Power, from the Knees to the Ribs, is absolutely crucial. All the Torso Power in the world will still fail if you simply can't dig in your Heels. But Core Power enables an Offensive Lineman to project Power in the Running Game and to reject Power in the Passing Game.

Agility: Launch Velocity, Acceleration, and above all: Fluidity or Core Agility. Core Agility is even more essential to sustained good Health ~ and to sustained good FootBall ~ than Core Power. The ability to react with serpentine smoothness is a tremendous Asset in all Aspects of the Game, and especially so in the Hand to Hand Combat that characterizes Trench Warfare. All the Power in the World goes only so far if you're lurching around like FrankenStein.

* Vertical Leverage. Height is crucial, but it's actually better, I believe, to be an Inch shorter than an Inch Taller.* Hands. The larger the better, generally, but compact is never a bad Attribute in The Trenches.* Arm Length. Absolutely crucial. He who boasts the longer Arms initiates Combat.* WingSpan. Arm Length + Torso Width. A more complete Measurement.

Frame: 33. 6070 isn't too tall, in and of itself, but a combination of towering Height and mediocre WingSpan isn't a good one.

Combat Skills: 33. He's only been playing on Offense for 2 Years, and it shows.

Processing Speed: 33. He's only been playing on Offense for 2 Years, and it shows.

Motor:60. No complaints here, at least. Impressive Intensity and Stamina.

Run Blocking: 25. There's some potential on a Zone Scheme Team, but right now his entire Game is too raw.

Pass Blocking:25. He's agile enough to prospectively compete, but he's not there, yet. Not even close.

Rick Leonard ~ Prospectus

I've got not a thing against Rick Leonard, but I must confess that I'm baffled by this Pick, as I'm sure many are.

I perceive enough Fluidity to warrant a Camp Invite as a UFA, but not much more. The guys's Game is incredibly raw ~ which is perfectly understandable, mind you, as he's only been on Offense for two years!! ~ and I simply don't see any exciting levels of Power or Agility ~ moderate Agility and horrible Power, in fact!! ~ on which to justify a Draft Pick.

Hell, even his Frame is a Liability: He's too tall for such a gimpy WingSpan. Height can translate to Reach, if you're agile enough ~ and Leonard appears to be ~ but it requires Length to do so, and I don't know if he's got enough.

Ceiling? Contender. 5th Round.

Floor? One & Done Camp Fodder.

Risk/Reward Ratio? Awful.

Here's hoping he succeeds...But I don't believe that that or anything else could justify spending a 4th Rounder on'm.

Thank you so very much, Draft BreakDown, without whom my Work would be virtually impossible.

Yank Rank: Lunatic Fringe ~ Highly

Overrated!!

Market Value

#127

Yankee Grade

UFA!!

Please do Note, Fellow FootBall Fiends: This and all CyberScouting Reports issued by this Site are produced by a ludicrously unqualified Amateur, privy to not even the tiniest fraction of Coach's Tape, Scouting Expertise, Face to Face Interviewing, Experience, or Inside Information enjoyed by the Professionals. As such, anything put forth is certainly misinformed, euphonious, derivative Tripe, and should be rejected out'f hand and indeed shunned by all men and women with even reasonable levels of intelligence or Good Will!! I'm trying to discern Power, Agility, Combat Skills, and far more abstract, esoteric Concepts such as Processing Speed and Motor, and Intelligence and Drive, and I'm trying to do so based almost entirely on a fascinating fusion of Tape, Combine Numbers, and Pro Days, while trying to attenuate my findings based on making Allowances for Competition Level, Scheme, Concept, Context, and, above all: Trajectory!!

Please also note, Fellow FootBall Fiends: These CyberScouting Reports are not intended as predictions of success or failure, but as assessments ~ ludicrously amateurish assessments ~ of potential success. FootBall is a rough and often unfair business, and many a worthy Prospect has fallen far short of his potential, sometimes not because of his own failings, but because of those of coaching, scheme, timing...or because huge investments were made on other Prospects.

In other words: If any of my Super Dooper Deeper Sleepers ever fail to fulfill their vast potential, I’m confident that it goes without saying that it wasn’t their fault…or mine!!...Yes, I think that I'm being funny.